Alt-rock icons The Pixies have cancelled their first-ever concert in Israel.
“We’d like to extend our deepest apologies to the fans, but events beyond all our control have conspired against us,” said the band in a statement released by concert promoters. “We can only hope for better days, in which we will finally present the long-awaited visit of the Pixies in Israel.”
While the band gave no official reason for the cancellation, concert organizers said their decision was directly linked to Israel’s deadly raid on a flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian aid destined for Gaza last week.
The Pixies were slated to headline the Pic.Nic festival in Tel Aviv. Activist organizations such as Boycott! have been calling on The Pixies to cancel their appearance in the festival. According to the BBC, other acts have also pulled out of the event, including Placebo and Gorillaz.
Quick to play the victim card was concert promoter Shuki Weiss, who sent out his own release claiming Israel was a target of “cultural terrorism,” and that the government should step in and stop it. “I am full of both sorrow and pain in light of the fact that our repeated attempts to present quality acts and festivals in Israel have increasingly been falling victim to what I can only describe as a form of cultural terrorism which is targeting Israel and the arts worldwide.”
Several high-profile artists have cancelled concerts in recent months over Israel’s occupation of Palestine, including Carlos Santana, Gil Scott-Heron, and Elvis Costello.
Image by Evan K.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
lol. Israel has NO art for themselves. they are leaches of art and complain when their 2000 year old backwards ass ideas get them in trouble.
i love how pathetic the israels act. it never gets old!
Placebo DID play in Israel.
Jeses, think about the fans, not the stupid government.
I can promise you those fans didn't elect that government.
It's so easy to gloat about things you don't know..
Music should have nothing to do with politics. Especially in a band such as the Pixies.
Placebo did have the courage to step up and say their opinion on stage, which recieved roaring applause from the crowd, who obviously – as they phrased it – gave a fuck.
I'm sorry that not every band can make this distinction between fans and government. Why are fans all over the world any different than fans in Israel?
cause the fans in israel should pressurize their govt. to stop these nonsense
Ok, Jerom. Why don't I completely surround your house with a concrete wall, an army of war criminals, and a rogue navy, prevent anything but the most basic of food scraps into your home, and when you throw rocks out the windows, I'll come in and kill your family.
And when you complain about the abuse I'll say, "This ain't no occupation — learn the facts, buddy!" and laugh in your face.
Crude missiles into Israel have killed less people than the one raid on the Freedom Flotilla.
Bravo to any artists who boycot Israel! Maybe they will broaden the discussion about how to stop Israeli Apartheid. Remember the boycotts of South Africa's Sun City? Now it's Israel's turn!!
Jerom,
Following your logic, does giving a convicted gang member access to adequate food and education mean one supports gang activity? Your arguments against the lifting of the siege are non-sequitur.
How exactly would a sustainable economy, including access to food, health care, and education, be against equal rights for women, homosexuals, or freedom of speech? Judging by history, all these things tend to flourish in a prosperous society — not impoverished ones.
Just answer my only question dear Ezra – would you give part of your own counrtry to another nation which denies your right to exist and declares that the whole of your country belongs to it? Despite the fact that it is against any reasonability Israel evacuated Gaza and in return it received 9,500 missiles on its cities. Beautiful gift, especaily when no pacifistic organization was heard, supporting the tiny state of Israel.
Palestinians lost the vast majority of their land to an Israeli settler state, once that routinely denies not only their self-determination and right to exist as an independent and cohesive nation, but their fundamental rights as well.
Hypocritical people do not contribute to a resolution of this ongoing crisis — nor do they contribute to a respectful and civilized debate in the comments of this website.
Jerom
You are a such an ass!! Women are inequal to men in EVERY country of the planet! Homosexuality is illegal in many states still! People are beaten and killed in Israel, Canada, the US and many other "civilized" countries every year for being gay. Open your goddamned eyes and stop with Israel is perfect and all these other arabs are backwards nonsense and racist drivel!! Go to school!! Read some different books than the ones you've been reading!! Do something to pull your head out of your arse!!
You are a funny guy, Kazinsky…. besides being unpolite and very rude. Probably your parents weren't so well educated so you are not the one to be blame. Maybe upon your concept women and homosexual are not equal but not according to ours. Last Friday we had a wonderful gay parade with ten thousands of people in Tel Aviv streets. You should have come to see this beaytiful sight. In any Arab country on earth they would be hunt down like ducks in a shooting range. And BTW, in Israel we read all the time and everything.